Turning Back Time

End of a month, end of a quarter. Where has the time gone? It was Winter...and now it's Spring, as evidenced by this first rose bloom in Missy M's back yard.

It's been a busy 13 weeks since 2016 began. One might say "life-altering." But I'll get to that momentarily. Please know that I have had several good reasons for my recent silence...or, at least they seemed good to me at the time. (There's that word again: time.)

Let's see if I can recap...

January and February — In reviewing my calendar for that first month, I am struck by how ordinary the days and details appear. After the Holidays, I had several "usual" things scheduled, including meetings relating to Master Gardening, my historical book club, and various and sundry doctor appointments. But by mid-month, we knew that "ordinary" and "usual" were two words we would never, ever again use to describe January 2016. 

While on his first week away from home since his knee replacement surgery and recovery last October, Mr. T was asked to meet his VP for breakfast while in Maryland. When I returned home from a meeting at the Extension Center, I had a text that read "be careful what you wish for." And I knew, then and there, what the subject of our subsequent phone call would be: retirement. 

To paraphrase Shakespeare*: "Be not afraid of retirement...some achieve retirement and some have retirement thrust upon them." We were working our plan for T's retirement to be "achieved" following his next birthday...a more or less "official" retirement age, if you will. But, the chickens of some unfathomly poor and unbelievably numerous corporate decisions made in Japan and in Germany since 2009 came home to roost last year. And "workforce reduction" was supposedly a last straw. Blah, blah, blah...I could go on (and HAVE, at length). Bottom line: retirement was thrust upon T in mid-January when he accepted a package. And we have spent these last several weeks digesting options and rewriting our script.

At first, we thought we should accelerate our move to GA, and we began a whirlwind of activity around that chore. Then, we came to our senses, took one giant step back, and two very deep breathes...and decided to give it some time and space. 

After Mom's death in 2011, I went through grief counseling and am reminded of some excellent advice I was given then, summed up much better than I could write below. I think it just might apply now:

"Usually it is wise to avoid making hasty decisions, especially in matters of such consequence as moving...I offer this useful rule of thumb: Make no major decisions for at least six to twelve months..., until you've experienced all the seasons of your emotions. This...happened barely two months ago, and I would expect that at this point, you're both still frozen in a state of shock, barely able to believe (much less able to make any sense out of) what has happened to you. You and your wife are extremely raw and vulnerable right now, and not in the best frame of mind to be making major decisions, such as moving." (From The Grief Healing Blog Post " To Move or Not: Making Decisions in the Wake of a Recent Loss")

To be clear, we have discovered that T's "grief" over this loss isn't so much about the job itself; it's more about the loss of the right to make the decision on our own timeline. The job...the product...the company: those things have all changed so drastically and not-for-the-better over the past 5 years...those things were already "lost" to the point that many "what if" scenarios have been discussed over our morning coffees for many, many moons now, including the possibility of a package being offered. So, it wasn't necessarily a surprise that it was offered...just when it was offered. So many senior management assurances had been given that there wouldn't be a workforce reduction...both empty and false, as it turned out. Ah well, in our heart-of-hearts, we knew better...why else would we have even ventured to discuss the possibility? Why, indeed.

So, our retirement schedule moves forward from September to February (or June, since that's when the package ends). And our moving schedule moves from May to..., well we are still working on the date. Let's just say "not May."  The good news? Because of all the preliminary work we did in January, we have most of the major decisions made and lined up (who our Realtor will be, how we will prep our house for market, what we will do, where we will be moving to); it's just the pesky when question that's still up in the air at the moment. Sigh. 

We decamped to Georgia for the last two weeks in January and the first few days in February, to serve as dog- and house-sitters while Missy M met a rather aggressive work-travel schedule. There, I had a bit of successful eye surgery (YAG-laser) to correct a problem I've had since my first cataract surgery in 2012 (yay!). We had returned to HPNC for a couple of weeks sans our dogs who remained behind while we took care of some things "back home." While we were in NC, one of the most frightening episodes of my recent memory happened in GA...giving me chills just recalling it.

Somehow and for some unknown reason, our part-Australian Shepard Winston decided to go on walkabout by digging his way under M's fence to freedom. Panic ensued, and then we put Operation "Find Winston" into high gear, with fronts in two states NC and GA. I truly don't wish to relive those horrible hours when he was missing, so let's just move forward to the time four days later when he reappeared and tried to dig his way back into the fenced yard. That didn't work so well, so he walked around to the front of the house and waltzed into the open garage door. "Here I am!" Good grief. We arrived a few hours after he had returned, ever so thankful that he was unharmed and none-the-worse-for-wear, other than extremely hungry and so tired that he slept for nearly 12 hours straight. 

Mr. T spent the next week building an "auxiliary fence" (a fence beyond the current fence, all the way back to M's rear property line), along with a gate in the existing fence, creating what we now call The Outback...more or less a huge doggie play area in the un-tamed part of the property. The Drool Gang loves it! Well, all except Dixie, who still prefers the sofa inside the air-conditioned house, thank you very much.

Yes, we have already turned on the AC here. Of course we have also had mornings (including the first day of Spring) when we had to turn on the fireplace. Nothing new, right?

March — And that brings us to the present-but-rapidly-ending month. Mr. T and I headed back to GA for Easter, enjoying Easter Brunch at Ray's On The River (photo below), albeit without M who has had an awful upper respiratory infection. She's better now, thanks.

And I'm now continuing my journey on to Mississippi to attend Homecoming at the W. Even though this year has a tough act to follow from WHC2015 (refresh your memory of that trip by visiting that post here: http://adsit2.blogspot.com/2015/04/lost-and-found.html   ), I am truly looking forward to reconnecting with my college friends. Should be a fun weekend, turning back time as Cher would say.

I mentioned there were several reasons for my absence, didn't I? Time for me to wrap this post up with my final reason. I have been filtering some comments that come through to my blog...some that have given me cause for concern. I started this blog more or less as a journal for myself, a place to touch base with friends and family, and a repository for pictures I wanted to share. All has been well until this year, when I started receiving and rejecting comments in foreign (read that: non-English) languages. I neither read nor speak these languages, so I have no way of knowing what is being shared by way of the comment section on my blog. For that reason, I have turned OFF that capability. 

Need to get in touch with me? Let's use the old-fashioned way: email! I trust you remember that...

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*"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them". - (Quote from Twelfth Night, Act II, Scene V).

Returning to Our Regular Programming

I'm back! Sorry I've been MIA for a couple of weeks. Some of this...some of that...and, well, you know. That's life, right?

Let's see...where were we? Ah yes. Winter was holding us captive.

Winston chilling out in the Rose Garden

Yeah...still is in a way, even though the calendar has rolled over to Spring. Well, Mother Nature did NOT get the memo because we had snow flurries on Tuesday. March Madness is not just for basketball! (Sadly, my Tigers did not make it out of the first weekend of NCAA tournament play again this year. Sigh. And that's all I'm going to say about that.)

Here are some more frozen photos to chill you out: be sure to click on the windmill one (below) to get the full, freezy effect! It was actually spinning when I took the shot!

Brrrr----
Thomas in the Way Back
"Don't think I'll sit in those chairs!"

Icicles on the Windmill

Actually, here at Casa 3917, March is marching on, bringing on the buds regardless of the temps. First came the tiny, ground-hugging crocus...yellow ones, followed by purples and whites. Severe weather is nothing for them...but how they survived being trampled several times daily by the dogs, I'll never know. Impressive.

Winston in the Way Back
surrounded by King Alfred Daffodils

Now, our daffodils are blooming all over the property (as you see in the picture of the Rondel, right), making me smile whenever I look out a window. Some of you may remember when we moved here 5 years ago (can you believe it has been that long? Neither can I!), I was saddened to learn that the previous owners were apparently not daffy fans, since there wasn't a blooming one on the place. Never mind...I've fixed that little problem by planting over 500 bulbs (so far!). And now we are reaping the rewards...everywhere we look! Big, bold, bright yellow King Alfreds...delicate, fragrant Tahitis...frilly Rip van Winkles and Golden Ducats...beautiful white Ice Follies...and many I don't know the names of because they were in those two big mixed bags o' 90 bulbs each. They are all out there...and I bring countless ones inside weekly.

And, let's not forget the almost overpoweringly-fragrant hyacinths...deep purples (my personal faves), light "blues," pinks, white, "reds." You name it...they are apparently defying the catalogs that say: "may not return in Zone 7 or higher without digging and chilling." The Blue Star ones that I bought on sale in January of 2011, way past the time to plant them...and planted them anyway, some at the mailbox, some in the back yard next at Hyacynth Bucket's feet...and next to the yet-to-be-built-shed? Yeah. They keep coming back, making me smile to see them...and making me smirk to know that together, the bulbs and I, we beat the odds. A gardener's delight!

Next up in the Show of Blooms will be the iris, both the delicate-looking Dutch Iris (which come from bulbs) and the more rugged Bearded or "German" iris (that grow from rhizomes). Both varieties are preparing to astound us again this year, for I see the sword-like "leaves" coming up through the ground, most often right next to the daffodils. Since you should leave daffy leaves alone after they finish their bloom cycle and allow them to yellow naturally in order to feed the bulbs for next year's show, I have tried to interplant daffodils, iris, and (the next in the succession) daylilies, in order to hide the unsightly yellowing process.

And, in the middle of all this actual gardening, I've been working on several Master Gardening projects. The volunteer opportunities are endless! My latest was doing some revisions for the Speakers Bureau Totally Tomatoes PowerPoint presentation...then previewing those for the other speakers who were giving the presentation across Guilford County...and then giving the presentation last Sunday at the Greensboro Arboretum. Tomatoes? I know, I know...it's too early to plant them...but not too early to talk about growing them!

So, winter weather or no...gardening has been front-and-center. And you can read more about that topic over on our garden blog, Gardening with the Giants. Click here to go there.

I'm guessing you have figured out by now that I've been off my bike more than on. Yes, folks, I'm still biking to Disneyland...just not as much or as often as I was. I made it to Kentucky...and then weather intervened (3 days without power...and my stationary bike has a vital electronic component in keeping up with my mileage, etc.), followed by garden intervention, both here and out at the Extension's Demo Garden/Rose Garden...and oh yeah...life in general. Some were real reasons creating real time constraints...some were/are just plain excuses.

Well, no more of that silliness. I'm back in the saddle(seat) yet again, and I'll do my next post on my ride tomorrow. I'll also get my Twitter feed up to date this afternoon following my ride...which will hopefully follow my annual visit to the eye doctor, which will be followed by a stop at the grocery shop. And probably a run to the bank...the post office...the cleaners...

See? There it goes again. Life in general...interfering...just like at your house...

A Trainer By Any Other Name

Whoosh! There went Spring...here comes Summer!

Seven short days ago, we were concerned about a Frost Warning posted on the News 2 Weather ap. Today? It's going to top out at just under 90 (85 already). Talk about running hot and cold...or rather, cold then hot!

I even had to turn on the air conditioner yesterday...because of the heat, as well as the pollen, which is covering everything (like our neighbor's normally shiny red truck) in a powdery yellow. Can't sleep with the windows open when you shouldn't be breathing the air! I may need to refill my nasal spray prescription by the gallon. Want proof? Here's a shot I snapped while taking a rest break on the garden swing. Reminds me of a saying one of my Lunn cousins used to say: "You may write in the dust, as long as you don't date it."

But neither heat nor pollen will deter me from my Spring gardening activities! And, what a long list that would be...

I was thrilled to see asparagus spears shooting up through the asparagus bed a couple of days ago. Such a taste treat...and presented in such an odd manner. Everything else sends up the leaves then flowers in preparation of the bounty to come. Not asparagus. You get the bounty first, for a few short weeks in the Spring, then it spends the rest of the year sporting the fronds and the berries

The eagle-eyed among you might notice those odd holes around the spears. Abbie loves running through the asparagus bed, on her way to jumping into the potato bags. Sigh. She's so cute...but she's going to significantly affect our yield this year, don't you think?

Learning from last year's problems, we are trying to nip the ever-present weed issue in the bud...and attempting to combat one of the issues with clay soil at the same time. Clay soil...which has high mineral content and high water-retention properties...has at least one awful characteristic: in high temps and baking sun, it clods up and crusts over like a brick.

I think I've mentioned that we have been amending our (awful, terrible, horrible) native soil with copious additions of leaf mold and compost. But, we could stay here for 20 years without making a dent in this much soil, working on the whole 1,000 square feet. So, we set up 4 wide rows and three equally wide aisles last Fall, in the Warm Season garden, tilling in more leaves, etc., and making progress, but alas the brick-crusting continues. Until I noticed that the soil under some bags of top soil was moist and workable. Hmmmm. What if we kept the rows covered at all times? And not just with straw, as in the past.

Enter a giant roll of Preen's landscape fabric! We've used it in the Rose Garden with some success, and this year we will be trialing it on the long rows and the aisles. Here's a shot of the rows I covered this morning. In the heat and pollen-choked air. Please be impressed, since I had to move 44 40# bags of top soil to make it possible. Ahem.

And now to the fun part...and how the title relates to this post...

Mr. T finished the tuteur that fits perfectly inside the Center Square of the new raised bed garden. A Tuteur, used as a tower to support vining vegetables and flowers, is a French word meaning "trainer," which is apt since I spent most of my adult life as a corporate trainer. He made one for Missy M's Secret Garden, and I have wanted one ever since. Ours has copper rails (I <3 copper!) and a purple topper, painted to match the shed doors. We even found a pot that fits perfectly...and I planted it with petunias, vinca vine, black-eyed Susan vine, and morning glory vine, that will soon be trailing down. I also seeded the Center Square with Scarlet runner beans, sunflowers, and nasturtiums, that soon will be filling out and up. Grow babies, grow!

Whatcha think?

Tote That Barge, Lift That Bag

Why does everything in the garden have to weigh 40 pounds? Or, better yet, 50?

I was taking a break this afternoon when it dawned on me that we have moved 2 tons of top soil from the driveway to the back yard and the Way Back Garden in the past few days. TWO TONS! Do the math: 100 bags of top soil at 40 pounds per bag = 4,000 pounds, or TWO TONS.

And that's not all, either. 50 bags of cedar mulch @ 40 pounds per (so far...still have 100 to go). One ton done, two to go. 25 bags of mushroom compost @ 40 pounds per (so far...we'll need another 25 before all's said and done). One ton in all. And 20 bags of Black Kow composted manure @ 50 pounds per bag...those are outta my league, I'm afraid. All I can do at that weight is cheer Mr. T on. He has a large wagon; I have a smaller one...and together we have put several miles on both in our efforts to move 4.5 tons of soil and amendments. Makes my back ache just writing it all down.

Not really. I have been very careful with all this lifting...warming up cold muscles before working, being realistic about my limits, and taking adequate breaks. I have been diligent about stretching and flexibly exercises over the Winter, to help meet the challenge of Spring. I know I'm playing with fire, so to speak, and a "bad back attack" is the last thing I need or want. No time for that...

Today I started getting the roses ready for their growing season. While I had already pruned them about a month ago, I had held off on the Spring Feeding just in case we had more cold weather...which we did. But all the rose bushes are leafing out now, so it is time to take action and get them ready to put on a show this Summer.

First I rake back last year's mulch. Then each bush gets a big helping of Patricia's Special Rose Potion: 1/4 cup Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate); 1/2 cup bone meal; and 3/4 cup 10-10-10 granular fertilizer. I scratch this mixture into the soil from the main cane out to the drip line. Then I add 1/3 bag of mushroom compost as a thick mulch in a circle around the base of each bush. Water in...and voilá! Happy, healthy bushes. I finished the 15 bushes in the back yard today, with "only" 45 more to go in the Rose Garden.

Then, I'll turn my attention to the Orchard, where I'll need to mulch all 20 trees with more mushroom compost (no fertilizer yet, as none of these babies have borne fruit). Then ditto with the blueberries, blackberries, and grapes...all of which get both fertilizer and compost.

Are we done yet?!

I am under a deadline of sorts, in that April 15 is looming large...that's like the starter's pistol for the Warm Season Garden. After the Average Last Day of Frost for the Piedmont, we can begin planting all those summer goodies: tomatoes, peppers, melons, corn, beans, okra, etc. So, I want to be done with the other gardening chores by then.

A lot of work? Heck yeah. But oh so good for body, mind, and spirit. That's why I do it...for the joy it brings!

Just remind me of all that joy in the morning, when I won't be able to get out of bed! I wonder if I have any Epsom salt left? Supposed to be a good soak for aching muscles, right?!


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It's not all work-in-the-garden here at Casa 3917. I've also been writing about working in the garden...😃! Latest article published online, I Say Tomato! is located here: http://guilford.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/03/i-say-tomato/. Enjoy!

Madness...March and Otherwise

OK. It's late March, right? Even if I had no current calendar, I'd know this because NCAA Basketball March Madness has dominated the airwaves. My Memphis Tigers made the field of 68 but were knocked out in Round 3 by Michigan State. Bummer. And I hadn't even had time to share this great poster pic with you...

With some key upsets, my bracket that was surviving on life-support was almost toast after yesterday's games. Ah well...there's always next year...and with just a passing interest in the rest of the tournament (I still have Louisville winning it all, so there is a faint glimmer if they hold on til The Final Four), I find I'm freed up to attend to other things. Such as:

1. Weeding the Rose Garden path on Saturday, while Mr. T worked at cutting the lumber for the 5 raised beds he's constructing in the redesigned Cool Season Garden. He braved the sleet (!) in the A. M., got all the pieces cut, and even constructed the Center Square (pictured). Abbie helped.

2. Speaking at the Greensboro Arboretum yesterday to 17 or so hardy souls who ignored the raw weather conditions to come to our Master Gardener Speakers Bureau Growing the Green Way presentation called "Totally Tomatoes." This is the PowerPoint presentation I've been working on for the past month, and I think I've mentioned in earlier posts. Think it went well...got some positive comments. Of course, it went longer than the planned hour, but we were concerned about that anyway...who can possibly cover everything you need to know about growing tomatoes in 60 minutes or less? Obviously, not I. What to tweak, was the question JA asked me in our debrief? Lordy, Lordy...I couldn't even force myself to think about Tomatoes for another second. I had reached my absolute limit! Especially since it was near freezing...the only tomatoes I wanted to think about were the ones in a lovely, steaming bowl of soup.

3. Taking Abbie for her monthly checkup and second round of puppy vaccines this morning. She's gained four pounds, now up to 12.4 pounds. She did really well, and it all went a little easier with Mr. T driving while I kept a rambunctious ball of energy under control. Here's a photo I took of our little growl upon our return home, lounging on the bean-bag stool...which she has commandeered. She's growing, for sure.

Mr. T was able to play pet parent today, as he is taking vacation days this week. The plan was to get several items checked off our To Do List (which seems to get longer as the year progresses). And to finish our chores soon enough to head to Louisville for Easter Weekend. But plans should always have flexibility built in, right?

When we returned home from the vet this morning, Mr. T went outside to refill the bird feeders and check to see how damp the work area in the garden still was (we'd had over a half-inch of rain Sunday). I was finishing my second cup of coffee before changing into gardening duds. Next thing I know, he's whistling to get my attention. As I looked out the window, it registered that flakes were falling about the same time his words "It's snowing!" hit my ears. Good grief. No gardening today.

Just call us Gumby. Flexibility is our name. And March Madness is our game.

We're Back in the Swing of Spring!

The Rhododendron is in the Swing of Spring!

OK, folks. Enough of this sickly, invalid business. I'm ready to get the party started again!

Yes, I feel better. Back issues subsiding. Vertigo lessening. And I'm sorely tired of gabbing about health problems. (Probably not nearly as tired as you are about having to read said gabbing...:)  Let's put the adventures back in The Adsit Adventure, how 'bout it?

Anyway, we have stepped it up a notch around Casa 3917 in the last couple of weeks. To start Mr T's vacation week off right, we took in our first Greensboro Grasshoppers game on the 6th, enjoying a double-header with the Lexington Legends, hot dogs and mustard, our great seats, and excellent fireworks.

We then donned our finery...including a hat for me (see photo, below)...to celebrate Easter Sunday, ending with brunch in style at Graylyn in Winston-Salem.  Question:  doesn't anyone wear a hat for Easter anymore?  I saw only three others the whole day...and two of those were on children, one on a little boy! I do NOT wear hats myself (for good reason, as you can plainly see...:), but I make an exception at Easter.

Desserts...and fab coffee
at Graylyn's excellent
Easter Brunch

In my Easter bonnet...
at brunch in Winston-Salem

Second order of bare root roses from David Austin arrived...
6 hours, soaking in the tub before going in the garden

Where we have been planning and prepping the new Rose Garden in the Way Back, we now have planted 34 new rose bushes [28 so-called English roses (left) from David Austin; 6 hybrid teas from Roses Unlimited]. By "we," of course I mean Mr. T.  He digs the hole, then uses the Mantis(tm) tiller to break up our rock-hard clay soil (photo, below)...incorporating lovely leaf mold (from all those leaves we salvaged from neighbors' curbs last Fall and composted all winter...:) and  Moo-Nure^® . I come along to add what we call the Secret Sauce: a mixture of bone meal and Epson Salts (which aren't really a salt at all, but magnesium sulfate...great for growing strong stems)...and water 'em in. We then add another layer of leaves as mulch around each bush. We have 6 more roses just arrived from DA in a box on the front porch to go in this weekend, weather willing (as well as three more crabapple trees going into the Orchard). Three more hybrid teas are coming from RU in early May. And that should be that for the roses and the fruit trees. (All who believe that, stand on your ear, as Momma would have said...:)

Mr. T with the Mantis in the Rose Garden.
(See the ones from Order #1, planted in the foreground.)

Paver patio at 10'x4' in Rose Garden...we're half way done!
(See the beginnings of the
Bluebird Bistro in the center.)

Finished: 10'x8'!  Now, must cure
for 72 hours.

Let's go to Atlanta!

Momma Bluebird bringing home breakfast
to the babies.

More importantly, we finished the new paver patio in the Rose Garden (photos above) last week when Mr. T was "on vacation." (Right. More about that in a sec.) Anyway, after a day of grueling construction work (done almost entirely by him, with me bringing up the rear of measuring, staking, sweeping and finishing with the polymeric sand), and waiting the required 72 hours to allow the sand to set between the pavers, he hauled the new teak glider out of the garage where he'd assembled and stained/sealed it, and we immediately found our new favorite spot on our property. We relocated one of the birdbaths and a hook with two feeders to a spot in front of the new patio, planted some perennials like delphiniums, yarrow, and thrift, along with some Spanish lavender (hey...I've tried English lavender without success in the Way Back...trying something new)...and we christened the spot The Bluebird Bistro, as it's about 15 feet from the fence with two active bluebird houses (photo, above/left). I cannot begin to describe how happy I feel when I'm there. It's like Mr. Bluebird is on my shoulder. It's the truth...it's actual...everything is satisfactual!  Zip-pa-dee-doo-dah!

"And that one is outta here..."
Go-ahead homer puts the Braves in the lead!
Tomahawk Chop!!!

I'm also happy to report that this vacation hasn't been all work and no play. Missy M also took the week off work, motoring down to NC on Easter Sunday. She took charge of the meals, keeping us yardeners happy. While she was here we got a sitter for ALL FIVE DOGS (God bless Miss Jan!) and headed the car down I-85 to Atlanta for a couple of days. Mr. T and I (and 50,000 of our closest friends...including President and Mrs. Carter, too...:) had tix to Opening Day for the Braves on Friday the 13th (photo, right)...which proved to be a lucky number for them, as they beat the Brewers in a battle to the last inning. Then, before we left town on Saturday, we managed to take in Ikea, Nordstrom Rack (can you say "new shoes?"), and a fav knittery in Duluth called Rare Purls. Well, M and I enjoyed that last one...:)


Yes, better health is contributing to more happiness in my universe. But I would not be telling the whole truth if I left out the tears that fell last week as well.

As I have said, this past week was looming as a mountain for me. So many milestones, so many memories. Daddy's birthday was April 11th...he would have been 89, if he hadn't passed away on April 12, 1990...and he was buried on Easter Sunday. Momma was also an Aries, and she would have celebrated her 92nd on April 14. As this was my first year without her, I imagine you will understand when I admit to having shed more tears on Saturday than on the other days of that week.

Sidney's Memorial Mimosa (in the cage)...
and a yellow iris (flag)

Of course, I can't really think of either of my parents with sadness for too many minutes...and I'm guessing that's progress on my part. In memory of Daddy, we transplanted a volunteer Mimosa sapling to a spot behind the new paver patio...right next to a bright yellow iris. A mimosa, you ask? Who plants a mimosa? It's an inside joke: Daddy...raised in the city and never the green thumb that Momma was...called EVERY tree a mimosa 'cause that was what he used to park under in our back yard in Henning. And the iris? Well, he used the old-fashioned name for it, calling them "flags." And, you guessed it...every tall flowering plant was a "flag."

And what better way to celebrate Momma's birthday than to go to a Braves game...and cheer them on to victory?! She was smiling on us that day...:)

Yes, everything is coming up roses...and mimosas and flags...here again. Swing, batter, batter...swing!


======>>>>======NOTE=======>>>>=======:

I have added a bar on each post that allows readers to SHARE the post on Facebook, etc. See it, right there below this info? (I have no control over the size of the tiny things...at least, none that I can discover...:)

Also, there is now a blue, Facebook LIKE button for the entire blog...see it there on the upper right column?

Hang on, folks...we're moving forward with a bullet!

In Like a Lion...Out Like a Baby Lamb

March, which blew in on a rainy, blustery Thursday, is headed...meek-and-mild...out the door this coming Saturday. We are paused to turn the page over to April, but before that occurs, I thought I'd post a pic or two of Casa 3917.

Iris blooming at the mailbox:
"Rock Star"

Spring arrived way before the calendar told us it should.  The Weather Wonks tell us that's due to La Nina, a weather phenomenon where the Eastern Central Pacific ocean temperatures affect our NC Winter. Most people in general are thankful that this winter was so mild.  Most gardeners, on the other hand, are of mixed emotions.

True, Mr. T was able to check a big item off his list when he finished re-mulching the garden paths and the Rondel (the oval shape in the center of our Way Back garden), thanks to an abundance of mild March weather. Mulch makes it all seem so well-tended.

The dogwood and the azaleas (photo, right) are beginning to bloom, just as the forsythia, the daffodils and the hyacinths are finishing. The iris (photo, left) and the candy tuft in the front are even beginning to flower.

Azalea...after the rain...

I welcome the warmth, as every seed and every transplant I plant switches into hyper-grow the minute the soil is back in place. In the Kitchen Garden in the Way Back, the lettuces and spinach are green and lush.  The cabbages and broccoli are tall and strong.  The asparagus (on its second Spring) is producing lovely spears for the first time. The potatoes and the onions are both growing ahead of schedule. Only the carrots haven't made an appearance...which is more due to the crusty, clay soil than to the weather.

In the Way Back Orchard, all 11 of the newest fruit trees are leafing out, and all except one of the other apple trees (planted last Spring) have shown signs of life.  We will be fertilizing them and adding mulch-rings this weekend, if the weather stays as gloriously beautiful as it is today.  We purchased a swing on our last Tractor Supply run and plan to install it here soon...a perfect spot to rest while working in the Way Back.

In the Berry Patch, the blueberries are all abloom, and the blackberries have leafed out spectacularly.  The grapes along the fence are even breaking bud (which isn't necessarily a great thing, since we had wanted to relocate these guys...that will now have to wait until they go dormant next Winter). The new strawberry bed (created by transplanting runners from the old bed) is not only showing the signs of growth on the new plants...there are also flowers on many!  I'll need to get some straw on them soon.

And, in the newest addition to the Way Back, our Rose Garden, all 12 of the new David Austin English Roses have growth.  Woo hoo!  Mr. T got these guys in the ground as soon as he could after we received our shipment, even finishing by flashlight.  We have 9 hybrid teas coming from Roses Unlimited in South Carolina next month, along with another DA order of 14, for which we will be digging holes this weekend.  We have outlined the path through the Rose Garden, and Mr. T has assembled and stained the new teak glider that will be placed on a stone pad (to be installed...:) soon...a perfect spot to enjoy our morning coffee.  We will be moving a feeder and the concrete bird bath to that location so that the bluebirds who have moved into the newest bluebird house on the fence will have a bistro to call their own.

So, what's not to love about this, you ask? Well, a mild winter...and this has been one of the mildest on record...means (1) we will be battling an abundance of bugs come summer-time...and (2) an earlier appearance of my least favorite gardening cohorts, the snakes. Yes, I saw my first snake the other day...and happily lived to tell the tale.

It was a "good back" day for me, and I finally tackled a chore that has been on my To Do list for months: get the "new" strawberry bed planted.  [Mr. T had already tilled the new row...and tilled it again...and tilled it a third time to create a wide, raised bed over the Winter.]  I  had worked in the "old" strawberry bed (which was slated to be tilled under and become a part of the new Rose Garden) for several hours, digging up and removing runners to go to the new bed.  For this chore,  I used my handy-dandy new (purple!) kneeler that I'd ordered from Gardener's Supply...and which I pronounced "GREAT!"

After we planted the new bed (finishing in the rain, I might add...), we had so many runners left over I decided to keep them and plant them in containers:  a strawberry jar that I used previously for herbs; several hanging baskets; and many, many pots here and there.   The next day, as I was finishing putting the last 2 runners in my last empty basket, I thought it needed one or two more to fill it out...and Mr. T had not tilled the bed under just yet.  So I grabbed my trowel (but not my kneeler) and dropped down on my hands and knees amongst what remained of the old strawberry bed for "just two more."  I stabbed the trowel into the straw around a promising runner...and the straw moved.  Well, slithered actually.

You can probably guess what happened next.  I screamed...got up and outta the strawberry bed faster than I thought I could move (what bad back?)...and made it to the garden gate (like that's home base...:) in record time. Mr. T came a'runnin' to see what was wrong.  Of course, he started asking all those pertinent questions: what color was it?  How long was it? Where did it go?  Like I had loitered long enough to know the answer to any of those queries...

The next thing that happened is news-worthy.  Instead of retreating from the Way Back for a week (like I did the last time I saw a snake in the garden)...or, telling him to "sell the house" (like I did 32 years ago, when I saw a water moccasin in our back yard in Cordova)...I said "I need those strawberry runners to finish my basket."  No, I didn't return to the scene of the sighting myself, but I stood nearby giving encouragement and great directions to Mr. T...who recovered both the runners and the trowel without seeing said snake. He also complimented me on how much I have matured in my snake phobia...and I beamed with pride.

"Old dog...new trick" comes to mind...:)

Let The Games Begin!

Go Tigers Go!

Have you done your NCAA Basketball Bracket(s) yet?  I have!  I'll just let you guess who I've picked on my #1 Bracket to be the upset winner.  Hint:  photo (left).  I'm picking from the heart, don't you know?  My Tigers haven't exactly made positive impressions this year, especially whenever they tip-off on TV.  Hopefully, they will continue playing like they have been for the past month or so.  Fingers crossed...toes, too!

Speaking of crossing body parts...

I know many of you have been checking this space to see if I had any good news about my back issues. Let's say I'm cautiously optimistic.  Of course, my natural state is optimism, so that may not sound like a news item...but, I have to admit to a few hours of negativity over the past couple of months.  OK...maybe a day or two.

You see, I have been struggling since January with back pain that "isn't what it was like 'before'".  I've said this all along.  'Before' was when the disc(s) in my lower back actually herniated, pinching various nerves, causing pain to radiate down my left leg, into my foot.  The first time this happened, we were moving from GA to FL in 2002; I ended up having surgery in October...a partial ('hemi-") lamenectomy on the disc/space between L3and L4.  (If you have back problems, you will recognize the technical terminology and the numerical designation of lumbar discs in the spine.  If you don't...well, be happy and move along...:)

That was the beginning of the saga.  After the surgery, I said to anyone who would listen...and that did NOT include the orthopedic surgeon in Orlando...I am still having problems; I can't seem to get back to 'normal.'  He said I just needed to keep doing physical therapy...walk 2 miles a day...lose weight...move on.

Well, I did move on...sort of.  We moved to Missouri in 2003...and I eventually found an answer...sort of.  I connected with the Pain Management Doc in St. Peters who was treating Momma (for back pain, following her lumbar fusion surgery in 2005).  He ordered an MRI, and then we had a better picture of what I was dealing with.  I have apparently inherited my spine directly from Momma, as I also have Spinal Stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal column) and Degenerative Disc Disease [AKA: 'slipped discs,' at L2-L3, L3-L4 (yep...where I had the surgery) and L4-L5...more on that later]...all aggravated by osteoarthritis.

Then, bless him, he prescribed what I have come to call my 'arsenal:'  Celebrex (for the arthritis, in general...marvelous stuff!); pain meds (because I am extremely sensitive to the narcotic effects, he finally found a really mild one for me in Ultram/Tramadol); muscle relaxers (I have tried several...they give me some temporary relief, but I can only tolerate 2-4 days usage); topical pain relief (I use a 12-hour patch called LidoDerm, which is lidocaine); and what I refer to as The Zapper (a TENS unit, or Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator, that provides pain relief by using electrical pulses to stimulate the nerves of the lower back). He also advised a series of epidural steroid injections, of which I received 4 over about a year and a half.

Moving on...

Well, I did...again.  This time to North Carolina, as you know.  And, you also know what my time here was like through last year.  I guess I was fortunate not to have too many back attack episodes...until...

January.  When I took that shortcut down the stairs, I thought I'd bruised my tailbone.  Owwww.  Apparently not. I apparently caused an annular tear at L4-L5, which is the final lumbar disc...just above the tailbone. Whatever...it hurt...and it has continued to hurt for weeks beyond when it should have stopped hurting. Enter:  a Neurologist.  He's a nice guy who apparently was absent the day they taught all the other Neurologists their terrible bedside manners.  I hate to generalize, but this one is the ONLY one I've met who actually seems to care...and to want to help.

Blah, blah, blah...more medical stuff.  Anyway, he ordered a new MRI, since the previous one was 5 years old, and that confirmed the annular tear, as well as the state of  the 3 herniated discs. He gave me an injection (he called it a nerve block) to alleviate the pain in my hip (probably due to bursitis, he says), and he recommended another round of epidural spinal injections for the back pain. Enter: the insurance company.

Apparently, the SAME insurance company we had 5 years ago looked at the new MRI of the SAME spine...which itself was now 5 years older...and decided that they would decline coverage for the SAME treatment(s) they had approved 5 years ago. Go figure.  They also did this two days before the procedure was scheduled, so it had to be cancelled.

Oh no they don't!  While I felt discouraged and so lacking in energy to fight, Mr. T was of a different mind, shall we say.  He soon found out how to contest their decision...they said they needed 'more information from the doctor'...which they got...and now I'm rescheduled for the injection on Monday the 19th...just a two-week delay. Way to go, Mr. T!

So, how am I feeling...really?  Better...really!  I've been using my TENS unit ('The Zapper') regularly...and I find I don't need the meds nearly as much. I'm trying to be a good patient by not overdoing it, and I've gotten lots of knitting done (more on that in the next post)...but...

It has been SO beautiful lately...and the Garden Siren is calling.  Spring has arrived, no matter what the calendar says, and in honor of the Season, I have changed my blog's skin...out with that wintry background!.  Well, it's actually more like Summer this week, with record-breaking temps in the 80's.  Yesterday, we were warmer than Phoenix!

Anyway, it's difficult to be an invalid when it is so warm and welcoming outside...and I have to admit to a few hours spent in the garden...well, the broccoli, cabbage, spinach, potatoes, lettuces, onions, carrots, and beets won't wait any longer to get into the ground!  Of course, I also have to admit I paid the price for those hours...by having to spend the next two days recovering.  Ah well...

Maybe the Tournament is coming at the perfect time. That should keep me inside...glued to the new big-screen TV (yowza!), knitting at near-record speed...and allow a few more days of "rest and relaxation," right?

If you believe that, you have obviously never been around me when there is basketball involved.

Oh yeah.  Let the games begin...indeed!

A Question of Two Eggs

Colors of Spring:
Gold finch in the pink dogwood

 Make up your mind, already!  Is it Winter...or Spring...or Summer?  Hard to tell around here.  We've had a couple of 80+ degree-days lately, complete with high winds and followed by strong storms...and now back to the 50's with a chance of light frost tonight.

Some of you remember our pink dogwood (photo, left) in the front...and how beautiful it bloomed last year, just in time for Nana's 90th birthday party in mid-April. Well, because of the unseasonably warm days we've had, it's bloomed already, way ahead of the azaleas. 

 Since we've returned to chilly nights, I made what is possibly our last pot of beef-vegetable soup (AKA: "clean out the refrigerator" soup...:) of the season for supper tonight.  No worries:  the pot is full to the brim, so I'm sure I'll have some to tuck into the freezer...just in case.

And when I checked the now almost empty fridge (I told you it was "clean out the refrigerator" soup, didn't I?), I found just two eggs in the egg-keeper.  Hmmmm.  Now, should I make a skillet of cornbread to go with that soup?  Or, should I make a chocolate cake?  Decisions, decisions.  You'll just have to wait 'til the end of the post to see what I decided.  (No cheating by clicking ahead...:)

Let's see.  A recap of our weekend sounds like a broken record: yard and garden work, or yardening, as Mr. T calls it.  With sunny weather and warm temps, we packed Saturday and Sunday with as many chores on our list as possible.  While I was at the Kathryn Clay Edwards Library in Greensboro for Master Gardener volunteer duties at the Earth Day Celebration (I helped wee ones...and some seniors, too...plant Patty Pan squash seeds in pre-moistened peat pots...what fun!...:), Mr. T channeled his inner Paul Bunyan by cutting down a cedar tree in the back yard.  He also built a flower bed at the end of the driveway with landscape timbers as well as distributed about 50 bags of mulch (from those pallets that were delivered months ago when we built our garden shed, remember?)

When I got home, we cut down three more trees (two more cedars and a sickly tulip poplar) in the front yard.  Why are you cutting down trees, you ask?  Well, these are some we'd identified as needing to go to open up our landscape to some sun light for the other plants (especially those in the front yard, which were blocking both the sun from our one magnolia tree...and the path to our front door).  And, we've waited the recommended year after our move before we did anything rash.  (You know, as in:  "wait at least a year before you make any drastic changes to your new home, inside or out...")

Never fear!  As you know, we rarely throw anything away...we just repurpose it.  So, those tree trunks (minus the limbs) are now outlining a new path and patio area in the natural area of our front yard, created using all those bags of mulch.  Since they are cedar, they will last for years.  And, now the front of our house looks much more open and welcoming to visitors.

Removing that cedar in the back opened up the right side of our back yard, too.  We moved our swing and the tiny brick patio in front of it all the way to the corner, where we can enjoy the azaleas (which are just about to bloom...any day now).  We also created a mulched path to the new swing location...and it's a whole different place!

Last of the King Alfred Daffodils



Today, after a night of wind, rain, and hail, I picked the last of the King Alfred Daffodils (photo, right) in the Way Back and the Blue Star Hyacinths (oh my golly gosh...these do have such a fabulous fragrance...:) from around the mailbox and beside the garden shed, so that I could give the bulbs a good dose of Bulb Booster while the ground is moist.  I hope the bulbs will grow big and fat...so they can put on a similar display next year.

And, I weeded the strawberry patch...so I could cover the tender plants yet again with row covers.  Tonight is supposed to be clear and cold...mid-30's...so a frost is certainly possible.  There are worlds of white flowers on the plants, and I want to try to save all those potential tasty berries.  Yum!

So, with all that work, you just know the answer to the question of two eggs, don't you?  Whoever heard of cornbread being a reward?  Not me.



The Answer of the Question of Two Eggs:
Deep Dark Chocolate Cake, of course!


I got out my Hershey's Make It Chocolate Cookbook (c. 1987) and made the "Deep Dark Chocolate Cake" with "One Bowl Buttercream Icing."  This is sooooo easy and soooooooooooo good.  And, if you look at the cocoa tin you will see that cocoa has antioxidants.  That makes it health food, right?  Tee hee. The key is the boiling water you add at the end of mixing the batter.  Plus, I also ice the cake while it is still warm, to seal in the moisture.

Nana/Momma/Edith, who is still having good days and bad days...and sometimes all in the same day, like today...gave me that cookbook, all those many years ago.  Surely she won't mind having crackers with her soup...so that we can finish our meal with chocolate cake?  Surely...

Wacky Weather, Wacky Week Altogether

Folks, I've got to admit it.  I've been one of the worst complainers about the long, cold Winter we had.  Snow after snow after snow blanketed the Piedmont, and it got to be old after the first couple of them.  Would Spring ever arrive?

Uh...yeah.

I must have blinked, because we seem to have gone from Winter right into Summer...forget Spring.  We hit 96 here today (a record high)...warmer than it was in Phoenix, AZ, which is always my test of whether it's hot here...or anywhere, for that matter.  The tree pollen count is so high that they can't even chart the number in a graph without some distortion on TV.  It feels like we are all going to choke on the yellow dust that covers everything in sight.  Cough, cough...wheeze, wheeze...pass the Allegra-D, please.

N/M/E asked me if I'd taken a photo (above, left) of the pink dogwood that grows in front of our front porch yet...that I'd better do it quickly, 'cause it might not have any flowers on it at all tomorrow.  One day is had tiny buds...the next day, it had beautiful pink blossoms...and then the leaves popped out overnight.  Yikes!  Everything seems to be happening so fast.  All the daffodils are bloomed and gone...and this morning, I noticed both daylily buds forming and some iris blossoms about to open.  Daylilies?  Iris?  The first week of April??  How odd...

Supposedly, we've got another day of high heat before we get some relief...both in lower temps and some much needed cleansing rains.  Maybe that will wash the pollen dust away by the weekend.

Taking a break from the long To Do list of chores to get ready for the upcoming weekend Birthday Celebration for N/M/E, I took advantage of the glorious sunny day and worked outside most of Monday, repotting some plants that survived the winter indoors.  My lemon tree...started from saved seed a few years ago in MO...had outgrown the confines of its pot last year, but I just didn't have energy last Fall.  Ditto the beautiful Mandevilla vine that Realtor Sue sent us as a housewarming gift...poor thing, it never made it out of the plastic "grower's" pot that it came to us in...as well as a hearty bunch of chives that have miraculously survived two winters and a move. Now, they are all hap-hap-happy out on the deck, in new soil and pots.  I also potted up some herbs (oregano, parsley, rosemary, lavender, and basil) and a Super Sweet 100 Cherry Tomato for the deck garden. 

I took a short cut on the flowers for the porches this year:  I got "already potted" groupings of flowers called Container Replacements from Lowe's...you just pop them in your pots and add water.  I did sneak in some beautiful purple petunias to the white geranium and spiky green foliage (is it artemisia?) of one.  I also found some pretty potted-up coreopsis at Walmart which followed me home and are now gracing the front steps.  Those last ones did get a make-over when I added three Hot Pink vincas to each of the bright yellow coreopsis pots...just like we had read about doing in the gardening section of the paper on Sunday.  Like I said about the weather...instant Summer!

Most of this dolling-up of the homeplace is in preparation of our guests for N/M/E's 90th Birthday celebration this Saturday.  Fingers crossed...toes, too...that we can make it happen.  Health issues have sprung up just like Summer weeds...we get one managed and along comes another one.  I've been battling a nasty virus that just won't let go...I was down for the count for about a week...then, I think I've got it licked, but back comes the cough.  And, now N/M/E has developed this odd foot malady of sharp, stabbing heal pain (akin to her gout? not sure...) that kept her from joining us at Easter services at Covenant UMC and then the yummy buffet at the Proxity Hotel in Greensboro.  Speaking of being "dolled-up," check out Mr. T in his Easter finery.  (What you can't tell in that photo to the right is just how much yellow pollen dust is coating that black courtesy car.)

And, the health issues are not just for us humans either.  Duchess got to come home today following her surgery on Monday to remove 7 cysts, two of which had ruptured, one being infected...that's the one we've been trying to deal with for more than a month now.  She was a real trooper, Dr. Heidi said...amazing actually.  For a 10-year-old dog "with a good bit of extra padding," she came through the 2-plus hour surgery with flying colors.  No fever...none, even after the recovery period.  Now, it's all about the healing.  They sent her home in this flexible E-collar thingie (pic to the left; see all her shaved patches, one of which is holding Elmo's interest) to keep her from tearing out her stitches, but that lasted about 20 minutes.  Mr. T removed it because he said she looked miserable...and because it was driving Gus nuts to see her in the thing.  Woo woo!  Still and all, we are ever so happy to have her home and feeling better.  Having had two dogs with major health problems in two months is, well, two too many.  Hopefully, things will settle down for them...and for us.

Time to get to bed for the night.  Lots to do on the To Do List tomorrow!

Yes, Things are Looking Better Around Here

If you've been reading my posts lately, you may think things seemed pretty bleak around our abode.  Woe was us.  The Winter of our Discontent.  Well, now with some lovely warm temperatures and Carolina Blue skies, I can misquote the Bard by saying it has been made glorious Spring by this sun of High Point.  I ask you, how can things be bad when it's 65 degrees, the sun is shining, and the daffodils are starting to bloom?  That's the first one (left) in our yard...a King Alfred...the first of many, I hope.

Yesterday brought some resolution to Elmo's struggles with primary glaucoma, which is a breed-related defect in the fluid drainage system in the eye(s).  After a particularly trying weekend where he barely raised his sweet head off the sofa...not eating at all on Sunday...he went in early for his appointment with the wonderful Dr. Nasisse, Veterinary Ophthalmologist at Carolina Veterinary Specialists.  We reviewed the options for treatment that he had outlined at our last appointment and decided the Intravitreal injection of gentocin was the best choice, as Elmo could no longer see from his right eye.  With this procedure, he will no longer have pain from the pressure, and he will keep his own eyeball which will eventually become smaller than normal since the fluid-produing cells will stop working permanently.  The procedure was quick and only required a short sedation; the complication rate is very low, we were told.  Although one of the other choices (evisceration) may have provided a more cosmetically-pleasing result, we were concerned about the discomfort and swelling following that type of surgery (synthetic intrascleral prosthesis...a silicone implant)

Good news!  He sailed through the procedure with flying colors, and we were able to pick him up later in the afternoon.  He continued to be a little sleepy from the anesthesia, but was up-and-at-'em by 6:00 p.m...devouring his supper (and some of Duchess').  We continue to use two kinds of drops in his left eye, twice a day...as a temporary measure.  Dr. Nasisse says Elmo can still see out of the left eye, but it will eventually be affected (6 months to 3 years)...we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  We also are using an antibiotic eye drop in the right eye 3 times a day for the next 10 days, along with administering a liquid Meloxicam solution...or, trying our best to...to help relieve any pain or inflammation from the procedure.  Elmo just won't take pills...and yes, we've tried to hide them in cheese...in peanut butter...wrap them in ham or turkey or chicken or roast beef...coat them in bacon grease (yuck!)...no luck.  He's too wise to our ways.  So, they gave us this med in liquid form...with this squirty-syringe to aid in getting the medicine in his mouth.  Imagine trying to penetrate a stone with a straw.  It took two of us to get about 1/4 of a dose down last night.  I'm less-than-eagerly looking forward to doing that again tonight...by myself...as my DH has deserted me gone out of town on business.  Ah well...it's all worth it.

Here are the Boyz (Gus on the left in the photo, Elmo on the right) enjoying our new storm door.  I took this shot today, so you can see that Elmo is doing really well; although there is still some swelling of his right eye, it is much less-noticeable after his procedure. You can also see a reflection of our other enclosure to prevent wandering Bassets:  a wire closet shelf, turned on its side, slipped into (and easily removed from...) anchors that are screwed into the porch posts.  It's a perfect solution to the problem.  You may not realize it, but Basset Hounds are fast when they want to be...that is, when an unguarded door is left open.  Free Bird!

Speaking of Bassets making a mad dash for freedom, Duchess (AKA Queen Houdini)...who is doing very well these days, recovering nicely from her ordeal with the cyst...was lounging on the sofa at the time.  Usually, she is the one in the window...watching the world go down her street...waiting for just the right moment...